My Mother, My Lover Ch. 06

Some fifteen years later, Carole sold out most of the business to Charlie, although she retained a share as a sleeping partner. Charlie took on a young, hungry financial wizard to handle the technical side. Jesse and Carole transferred the big house to Dee-Dee and Charlie but retained the "add-on" for themselves, leasing it in the short term to the new accountant. In the meantime, they invested in a high-end mobile home and spent some years touring the country, stopping off here and there with Jesse sometimes taking on short-term psychological work.

On their return, Jesse and Carole changed their lifestyle and bought a condo in the city for a more urbane lifestyle. Then some years later, disaster struck. At age 71, Carole was struck down by a particularly nasty form of cancer, and Jesse nursed her through the worst times before she died in his arms, telling each other one last time how much they had always loved each other. Jesse was devastated, and returned to the family home, where he and Dee-Dee told the children the truth about their parents. Somewhat to both Jesse and Dee-Dee's surprise, both children were very laid back about it, saying how grateful they were to now discover their father. Jesse found this a great comfort and source of support and gradually, painfully, came to terms with his loss.

Two years later, there was another shattering blow when Charlie was killed in a motor vehicle accident. She had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and was broadsided by a drunk driver, dying instantly. Dee-Dee was overwhelmed with grief, believing that she had no one to turn to. Gradually, over time, she came to accept Jesse's quiet reassurances that she wasn't going crazy and that there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. Dee-Dee was convinced that she would never find another partner, but surprisingly, perhaps, a relationship between Jesse and Dee Dee grew. Their children were very supportive, believing that their parents would at last be together. Nothing overtly sexual but a deep understanding based on shared grief and shared family experience grew into a warm, compassionate, mutually satisfying relationship, laced with generous helpings of fun and humour.

And, yes, perhaps even with love.

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Yes, yes, I know -- I'm just an old romantic who loves happy endings. So sue me...

I would like to thank everyone who has voted for and commented on this story series; that gives me the motivation to continue writing, and I will almost certainly be back at some time in the future..